The present invention lies in the field of novel, readily adjustable spark distributors and the like for internal combustion engines.
It is known that during the functioning of a spark distributor for an internal combustion or the like engine an attempt is made to establish a precise adjustment of the spark point. In fact, such an improvement and fine control in the adjustment of the spark assures the best combustion of the gases in any internal combustion engine, especially those utilized for an automobile's or the like vehicles with which the spark distributor is associated in the engine.
Known distributors in current use generally include at least a mechanical breaker arranged in the primary wiring in the coil. Such systems have inherent disadvantages, all of which are well known in and to those skilled in the art. The inconveniences presented by the mentioned conventional type of distributor are of several types. First, they usually necessitate the presence of several mechanical linkages and apparatus which cooperate with one another for the purpose of bringing out the desired movement of each breaker. Secondly the repetition of the arcs of the spark causes wear on the plated screws ordinarily present in the assembly. Third, the use of purely mechanical apparatus unavoidably brings about certain limitations which are generally observable and manifest in the rate of start up of the mechanisms; all of this occurring so that, and in a parallel manner, a plateau or "dead end", as it were, is reached whenever the motor is required to accelerate which, of course, is the time when greatest and most instantaneous spark action and performance is desired and required.
Amongst the objectives of the present invention is to overcome the difficulties and deficiencies of prior art in the spark distributor field for internal combustion engines and the like, as is entirely evident in and from the following Specification.
In order to compensate for these various forces and causes of possible maladjustment of the spark points (generally due to wear and tear) and in order to obtain a shorter reaction time corresponding to the normal operation of the motor in certain cases, according to a recent technique, the mechanical spark breaker is replaced with a sparking device which has a magnetic flux variation. This latter embodiment makes it possible on the one hand, to eliminate all of the causes of maladjustment of a mechanical origin and, on the other, to assure faster speed up or acceleration of the engine.
The utilization of the presently contemplated flux variation technique for realization of a spark in internal combustion engines has been generally known for a number of years past. In substantiation of this, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,145,224; 3,316,446; and 3,357,416.
The optimim static adjustment of the spark point of a distributor (which includes a mechanical breaker) is easily obtained. For example, it can be achieved by turning the shaft of the distributor until obtaining the opening of the breaker (such opening being possible to check in several ways including under lamp light, such as by so-called strobe lamps). The same operating technique makes it possible to obtain a later rapid adjustment of the distributor whenever the same may be required for any reason, as may be in the case when the distributor has been taken apart and must be again adjusted in order to function within the best conditions mentioned above.
The technique of adjusting the spark point of a distributor utilizing and having magnetic flux variation is more complex. It ordinarily necessitates, for example, the marking of the tooth of a gear, then the bringing of this tooth in front of a magnet flux "captor" made of an element which channels this magnetic flux towards the shaft, the said element or organ being connected to a permanent magnet and constituting the nucleus of the induction coil. For example, the adjustment of such a distributor may be obtained by using an external flux and by marking on a test bench the relative position of one tooth of the wheel and of the "captor" leading to the perfect adjustment of the spark point of the distributor. The certainty of maintaining of this relative position of the gear wheel and of the captor is a delicate thing both at the time of finishing the assembling of the distributor and whenever one proceeds with re-installing it, following for example the repair or change of at least one of any of its component parts.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple means for adjusting the points of a distributor, this adjustment being capable of being conducted from the outside of the distributor housing by means of a blockage element or organ or of an easy-to-use key of an uncomplicated nature. The adjustment can be accomplished without any intermediate transformation before the final assembling of the distributor points under consideration so that it can be done at the time of re-assembling it whenever it has been necessary to repair it.
The present invention thus has as its basic object a process for the temporary setting (in a pre-adjusted position) and later rapid adjustment of an ignition distributor which has a variable magnetic flux, designed in particular to cooperate with an internal combustion engine for automobiles. This distributor includes on the inside of a housing, a spark shaft on which is arranged a gear moved along by the said shaft and movable by rotation with respect to the shaft based upon the effect of at least one centrifugal advance device or wheel. The said gear is displaced in front of a magnetic flux captor made of a device which channels this magnetic flux towards the shaft, this said device being connected with a permanent magnet and constituting the nucleus of an induction coil. Practice of the present invention may be characterized in that the setting is carried out, on the one hand, in the wall of the housing opposite an element of the centrifugal advance device solidly connected to the shaft through a slot whose average line is located roughly on a perpendicular plane to the axle of the distributor shaft and, on the other hand, in the zone of the element of the centrifugal advance device rigidly connected to the shaft located opposite the said slot, an orifice and by the fact that the optimim static adjustment is conducted for the spark points by positioning the gear with respect to the captor and also by the further fact that assembly may be made of the distributor while simultaneously maintaining part of a positioning and setting bar opposite the said mark.
The present invention also has as a further object the provision of and as a new industrial product which constitutes a device for the temporary setting in a preadjusted position and the rapid later adjustment of a spark distributor which has a variable magnetic flux, designed in particular to cooperate with an internal combustion motor for an automobile vehicle, this distributor including on the inside of the housing a spark shaft on which is arranged a gear which is moved by the said shaft and capable of being rotated with respect to this shaft under the effect of at least one centrifugal advance device or gear, the said wheel being displaced in front of a magnetic flux captor element made of a device which channels the magnetic flux towards the shaft, the said captor element being connected to a permanent magnet and constituting the nucleus of the induction coil; all of which is characterized by the fact that the wall of the housing has, with regard to the centrifugal advance device which is one piece with the shaft, a slot whose average line is situated roughly on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the distributor shaft, and also by the fact that the said element of the centrifugal advance device (which is one piece with the shaft) has an orifice which cooperates with the bar of a setting device whose head is held against the external surface of the wall of the distributor housing and which passes through the slot in the said wall and has a fragile break zone arranged on the inside of the said housing.